Milei's foreign policy based on whims and mystical fantasies

TODAY 13:26

Argentina’s president moves the country according to his ideological whims. Why Milei got involved in the Middle East conflict, tensions with China and a meeting that never materialised with Donald Trump.

Juan Luis González

Periodista de política.



PRESIDENT JAVIER MILEI VISITS THE WAILING WALL DOING HIS VISIT TO ISRAEL. | CEDOC/PERFIL

Where does Javier Milei want to take Argentina and where does he want to position it? When Iran attacked Israel earlier this month, the President cancelled a tour abroad and returned to Argentina. He set up a "crisis committee" to deal with the conflict, which he invited the Israeli ambassador to participate in. The remoteness of the issue, coupled with the President's perceived understanding, fuelled doubts: what is the geopolitics of this government?

Behind the contentious moves, which sparked hours of debate about new carnal relations or alleged secret pacts, lies an even starker reality: the President moves Argentina according to his mystical whims and ultra-ideologised visions of reality. There is no room for geopolitical strategies or definitions. Milei is guided by an animalistic and messianic instinct.

Let's look at two examples, which were previously unknown.

November, 2023. Milei makes his first trip as Argentina's new president-elect, days before taking office. He goes to the United States not on a political or economic mission, but to visit the tomb of the last Chabad Lubavitch rabbi. Noticias magazine has been reporting that the beginning of Milei's road to power begins when, supposedly, God appears to him and assigns him the "mission" of becoming a presidential candidate. From that point of view, one can imagine the hidden reason for Milei’s visit to the resting place: the messianic thread that moves him.

However, there was one extra detail that never emerged when the trip took place. Milei had become obsessed with doing one thing while in the United States: he wanted to meet Donald Trump. Milei even made enquiries about travelling from New York to Florida, where the former president was. Those who were part of the La Libertad Avanza leader’s entourage during the trip said that it was a real ordeal to convince Milei otherwise. It would have been an affront to the Joe Biden administration if he had met with the former US president, especially given that Trump is the challenger in this year's elections. Finally, after much convincing, Milei gave up the idea, but it was an ideological whim that would have cost the country dearly.

More:
https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/opinion-and-analysis/mileis-foreign-policy-based-on-whims-and-mystical-fantasies.phtml